Interviews

Central to the archival collection are the over 70 recorded interviews with early members of the Gate Hill Cooperative, including all of the surviving Black Mountain College founders at the time (2014-2023) and many of their children who grew up at the community in the 1950s and 60s. Traveling over 40,000 miles through 16 states, the interviews were conducted mostly at the homes of the former Gate Hill members who have long since moved away from the community and now live scattered throughout the U.S. and parts of Europe. The time-intensive task of transcribing and editing the 300+ hours of interviews is ongoing.

The interviews provide a personal and crucial voice to the Gate Hill history project, literally bringing the stories to life. Permission to use the content of the interviews is limited to the author, and within the scope of the project. All other access is restricted.

Photo Caption: Patsy Wood (Lynch) and Vera B. Williams in 2009, photo by Mark Davenport. Inset: Patsy Lynch and Vera Baker on the deck of the Studies Building at Black Mountain College c. 1946. Photo of Patsy by Kedric Lynch. Photographer of Vera unknown.